Construction on the Canberra Airport northern road project has restarted this week. Photo: Conservation Council ACT Region.
The Canberra Airport has drawn ire again for its controversial northern road project, with environmentalists accusing it of taking advantage of the Federal Government’s caretaker period to push forward with construction.
In a statement, Friends of Grasslands (FOG) and the Conservation Council ACT Region “raised the alarm” about “expanded construction” on the road starting this week, which they have long argued threatens one of the last known wild populations of the critically endangered Canberra Grassland Earless Dragon.
“In February, the Capital Airport Group said that they were holding off on construction in the most ecologically damaging part of the road until they developed a nature-positive plan for the dragon,” FOG president Professor Jamie Pittock said.
“These new works seem to fly in the face of this promise, putting the future of Canberra Grassland Earless Dragon at risk.”
The road was initially proposed in 2009 to facilitate easier freight transportation across the site, but has been held up by subsequent changes to planning laws.
In 2022, Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek listed the dragon on a ‘threatened species recovery plan’ and asked the airport for evidence that the road wouldn’t impact its population.
The diggers and dump trucks arrived in February this year, but in response to protests, the airport agreed to hold off on construction on the northern section of the road.
The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water told Region at the time this is “while options to confirm or strengthen protections for the dragon are being considered”.
But both the Conservation Council and FOG group now say the airport has breached this agreement by restarting construction.
The Canberra Earless Grassland Dragon grows up to 15 cm long and weighs between 5 and 9 grams. Photo: Rob Armstrong, NSW DPE.
“We have been concerned for some time that the Capital Airport Group would use the cover of the federal government caretaker period to progress their destructive project,” Dr Simon Copland from the Conservation Council said.
“This now seems to be exactly what they are doing.
“While the Airport Group is not yet officially bulldozing the most critical area for the earless dragon, they would not be building an intersection unless they intended to carve the road through critical habitat.
“This is just the first step toward full destruction of this vital habitat.”
The ACT Greens have also taken up the cause, accusing Federal Labor of a lack of action and pleading with the Canberra Airport Group to “listen to your community”.
“[It] proves once again that Labor will choose the needs of developers and big corporations over the community and environment,” deputy leader Jo Clay said.
“Our community has long fought to protect this habitat and give our critically endangered dragons the best chances to survive and thrive in nature. In February, community pressure saw construction halt for the northern part of the road, and Canberra Airport said they would not restart until they developed a nature-positive plan for the dragon.
“Since the Federal Labor Government didn’t act – please Canberra Airport Group, listen to your community and back your own promise.”
Federal Greens candidate for Canberra Isabel Mudford added, “The Albanese Government has betrayed the Canberra community, saying there will be no new extinctions on their watch. Yet despite having the power to revoke the road and save the dragon – or at the very least delay construction until plans were in place to protect the dragon – they chose to sit back and call an election.”
Protesters at the site in February 2025. Photo: Conservation Council ACT Region.
The airport has discussed elevating the road and running pipes to allow the lizards to pass underneath, but according to environmentalists, there’s no proof that the lizards would use them.
Canberra Airport’s head of aviation, Michael Thomson, has previously stated that the airport “remains committed to balancing critical infrastructure needs with environmental conservation”.
“The road project has been rigorously assessed and approved by the relevant authorities, ensuring no net loss of habitat, no fragmentation, and no increased risk to the Canberra Grassland Earless Dragon population,” he said.
Earless Dragons at the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve. Photo: James Coleman.
As it stands, the airport has environmental approval for the road.
In a statement to Region today (23 April), the airport said the area where initial works have commenced isn’t “in the area under question”.
“The Department of Environment has been fully informed of the work that is being undertaken,” a spokesperson said.
“We remain committed to working constructively with the department and leading experts to achieve a nature-positive outcome.”
